Marc Albert

Acute Kidney Injury After On-Pump or Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Elderly Patients

BACKGROUND An exploratory analysis of the German Off Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Elderly Patients (GOPCABE) trial was performed to investigate the effect of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) on kidney function after the operation. METHODS Data on kidney function were available from 1,612 patients, representing 67% of the study population. Preoperative kidney function was graded according to the glomerular filtration rate. Acute kidney injury (AKI) within the first week after the operation was defined and classified according to the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) criteria. The incidence and severity of AKI was compared between patients operated on on-pump or off-pump. RESULTS Impaired kidney function was seen in 642 patients (40%), and 19 patients had preexisting end-stage kidney disease. AKI of any severity occurred in half of all patients undergoing CABG, with AKIN stage 1 accounting for most of the cases. The incidence and severity of AKI in patients undergoing on-pump vs off-pump CABG was AKIN stage 1: 298 (37%) vs 329 (42%); AKIN stage 2: 38 (5%) vs 43 (5%); and AKIN stage 3: 44 (6%) vs 44 (6%), which did not differ significantly (p=0.174). New renal replacement therapy was necessary in 3.2% (on-pump) and in 2.7% (off-pump) of all patients. Stratification according to preoperative kidney function yielded comparable frequencies of AKI for on-pump and off-pump CABG. CONCLUSIONS AKI was common in elderly patients undergoing CABG, but deterioration of kidney function requiring renal replacement therapy was a rare event. Off-pump CABG was not associated with decreased rates or reduced severity of AKI in elderly patients.

A multicentre evaluation of the autograft procedure for young patients undergoing aortic valve replacement: update on the German Ross Registry

OBJECTIVES Conventional aortic valve replacement (AVR) in young, active patients represents a suboptimal solution in terms of long-term survival, durability and quality of life. The aim of the present work is to present an update on the multicentre experience with the pulmonary autograft procedure in young, adult patients. METHODS Between 1990-2013, 1779 adult patients (1339 males; 44.7 ± 11.6 years) underwent the pulmonary autograft procedure in 8 centres. All patients underwent prospective clinical and echocardiographic examinations annually. The mean follow-up was 8.3 ± 5.1 years (range 0-24.3 years) with a total cumulative follow-up of 14 288 years and 662 patients having a follow-up of at least 10 years. RESULTS The early (30-day) mortality rate was 1.1% (n = 19). Late (>30 day) survival of the adult population was comparable with the age- and gender-matched general population (observed deaths: 101, expected deaths: 91; P = 0.29). Freedom from autograft reoperation at 5, 10 and 15 years was 96.8, 94.7 and 86.7%, respectively, whereas freedom from homograft reoperation was 97.6, 95.5 and 92.3%, respectively. The overall freedom from reoperation was 94.9, 91.1 and 82.7%, respectively. Longitudinal modelling of functional valve performance revealed a low (<5%) probability of a patient being in higher autograft regurgitation grades throughout the first decade. Similarly, excellent homograft function was observed throughout the first 15 years. CONCLUSION The autograft principle results in postoperative long-term survival comparable with that of the age- and gender-matched general population and reoperation rates within the 1%/patient-year boundaries and should be considered in young, active patients who want to avoid the shortcomings of conventional prostheses.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Does Kidney Function Affect Outcome?

BACKGROUND Chronic kidney disease is a significant risk factor for mortality as well as acute kidney injury in cardiac surgery. The impact of contrast agent application on outcome is not well described in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation. METHODS We analyzed data of 270 patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) between September 2008 and March 2012. Acute kidney injury was defined according to modified risk, injury, failure, loss and end-stage renal failure criteria. Patients on chronic hemodialysis were analyzed separately (n = 15). In 129 (47.8%) patients chronic kidney disease was apparent preoperatively. On average, 83.7 (± 32.4) mL of contrast agent were used per patient. RESULTS Postoperatively, 41 patients (15.2%) developed acute kidney injury. In 19 patients (7.1%) transient renal replacement therapy was necessary; no chronic hemodialysis was required. Thirty-day-mortality did not differ between patients with or without chronic kidney disease (7.0% vs 7.1%, p = 0.97). Additionally, chronic kidney disease had no influence on the incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury (12.8% vs 20.2%, p = 0.07) or postoperative hemodialysis (5.0% vs 10.5%, p = 0.08). No correlation between the amount of contrast agent applied and the incidence of acute kidney injury could be verified (p = 0.57). CONCLUSIONS Preoperative chronic kidney disease does not increase the risk of mortality and acute kidney injury after transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Acute kidney injury after TAVI is associated with an elevated risk of mortality. The amount of contrast agent applied intra-procedurally does not affect the risk of acute kidney injury.

Minimally invasive Ross procedure through partial upper sternotomy

The Ross procedure has gained increasing interest for therapy of aortic valve pathologies in young adults because of excellent long-term results. This case report describes the first published experiences of the Ross procedure performed through a minimally invasive access in two consecutive patients. The limited access is associated with only a slightly prolonged aortic cross-clamp time. Consequently, a minimal access method does not result in an increased risk for patients.

Combined David and Frozen Elephant Trunk Procedure in Acute Aortic Dissection

BACKGROUND  Valve sparing aortic root repair by reimplantation (David procedure) is an established technique in acute aortic dissection Stanford type A involving the aortic root. In DeBakey type I dissection, aortic arch replacement using the frozen elephant trunk (FET) was introduced to promote aortic remodeling of the downstream aorta. The combination of these two complex procedures represents a challenging surgical strategy and was considered too risky so far. METHODS  All patients with acute aortic dissection DeBakey type I undergoing valve sparing aortic root repair by reimplantation technique of David combined with extended aortic repair using the FET at our center between October 2009 and December 2016 were evaluated. Outcomes are compared with patients who underwent prosthetic aortic root replacement and FET for aortic dissection in the same timeframe. RESULTS  A total of 28 patients received combined David and FET procedure, while 20 patients received prosthetic aortic root replacement and FET procedure. Thirty-day mortality was 10.7% (n = 3) for the David group and 20% (n = 4) for the root replacement group (p = 0.43). Postoperative echocardiographic control revealed an excellent aortic valve function with regurgitation grade 0° or maximum grade I° and a mean gradient of 4.3 ± 2.1 mm Hg in all patients in the David group versus 7.2 ± 2.4 mm Hg in the aortic root replacement group, p = 0.003. Computed tomography angiography scan showed positive aortic remodeling in all but three patients (91.9%). Mid-term follow-up survival was 82.1% in the David group and 68.4% in the root replacement group, p = 0.28. There was no need for reintervention at the root or descending aorta. CONCLUSION  Simultaneous application of the David and FET procedure in patients with acute aortic dissection is safe and feasible in experienced hands as compared with standard aortic root replacement plus FET. The mid-term outcomes are encouraging and noninferior to conventional surgery results.

Minimally Invasive Surgery for Aortic Aneurysms

Abstract Aortic aneurysms are characterized by an increased risk of dissection or rupture. The therapeutic goal is the elimination of the aneurysm. Depending on the diseased portion of the aorta current standard therapies are either surgical or interventional-endovascular, or hybrid procedures, which is a combination of both. In relation to the subject of this chapter, the surgical treatment is still the gold standard for the aortic root, ascending aorta up to aortic arch aneurysms. This section of the aorta is also accessible via the now established upper partial sternotomy. Thus, it is possible to perform all standard procedures in this aortic section as minimally invasive procedures by means of surgical access. The partial sternotomy is associated with better chest and sternal stability, less postoperative pain, shorter hospital stay and faster recovery, in addition to an improved cosmetic result. In our experience, the approach of the aortic valve up to extensive thoracic aortic disease involving the arch and the descending aorta treated using the frozen elephant trunk technique through a partial sternotomy is safe and feasible.